Indonesian Civil Liberties on CIVICUS Watchlist

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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - CIVICUS Monitor, an international research collaboration dedicated to tracking civil liberties across 197 countries, has added Indonesia to its watchlist. CIVICUS assesses that within Indonesia, instances of state intimidation, legal manipulation, and the violent suppression of dissenting opinions are rampant, placing the nation's civil space in a concerning state.

"Speaking out is becoming a dangerous act in Indonesia’s tightening environment," stated Josef Benedict, CIVICUS Monitor's Asia researcher, in an official statement on Wednesday, July 30, 2025.

He continued, "Anyone who criticises the government is being forced into silence through fear, violence, and intimidation."

As President Prabowo Subianto's administration enters its ninth month, CIVICUS Monitor has documented dozens of activists who have faced attacks, intimidation, and arrest.

The government is also accused of responding to peaceful protests with violence, intimidating human rights activists and journalists, and pushing for revisions of laws that further constrain civil space.

Currently, CIVICUS Monitor classifies Indonesia's civil space as 'obstructed.' This designation signifies a grave challenge to the fundamental freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and association.

Indonesia now joins a watchlist of countries that have experienced a notable decline in civil liberties, including nations such as Kenya, El Salvador, Serbia, Turkey, and the United States.

Documented Incidents of Suppression

In the first half of 2025, civil society reports indicate that over 100 human rights activists were arrested, subjected to criminalization, intimidated, or attacked. Those apprehended include environmental and agrarian activists, student organizers, academics, labor advocates, and anti-corruption campaigners.

CIVICUS Monitor highlighted that this pattern of violence is particularly evident in the handling of demonstrations.

In March, police and military authorities violently dispersed a protest opposing the revision of the Indonesian Military Law (UU TNI). Authorities were also accused of assaulting several journalists covering the protests and coercing them to delete their recordings.

During peaceful demonstrations on International Labor Day, police arrested 14 individuals, including paramedics. They also subjected 13 of them to beatings, resulting in severe injuries. Disturbingly, none of the perpetrators of this violence have been prosecuted.

In Papua last April, police responded to student demonstrations with tear gas, arrests, and beatings. A month later, police brutally dispersed a peaceful protest by Cenderawasih University students demonstrating against tuition fee hikes.

The government also targeted the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) with intimidation and intensive surveillance from March to May. The tactics employed included attempted break-ins at their Jakarta office, suspiciously parked vehicles outside the premises, and incessant phone calls from numbers suspected of being linked to intelligence agencies.

Furthermore, independent journalism faces increasing vulnerability and intimidation. A journalist from the critically acclaimed media outlet Tempo received a pig's head, experienced doxxing, and had their family intimidated and threatened online.

Last March, the House of Representatives also implemented a new regulation requiring foreign journalists to obtain police permission before reporting in Indonesia.

Legal and Systemic Issues

"In Indonesia today, human rights defenders, protesters, and journalists are being treated like enemies of the state," Benedict said. "Even paramedics at protests risk being beaten by security forces."

He elaborated that this situation represents more than just a failure to safeguard the rights of the populace. Such pervasive violence, he stated, "reinforces the climate of impunity in the country."

"This is how civic space, including press freedom and the right to protest, dies. Not in one dramatic moment, but in a hundred acts of intimidation and retaliation," he went on.

CIVICUS Monitor also assessed that various legal revisions are systematically weakening accountability. Besides the UU TNI revision, this trend is evident in the draft amendment of the Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP) and the National Police Law. These proposed policies could further consolidate governmental authority without clarifying accountability mechanisms or adequately protecting the rights of victims.

Last June, the Indonesian government entered into a wiretapping agreement with four major telecommunications operators. This collaboration significantly increases the risk of mass surveillance or arbitrary eavesdropping and data collection. The government continues to utilize the Electronic Information and Transactions Law (UU ITE) to silence dissenting opinions in the digital realm.

"The pace and secrecy of these new repressive revisions show that Indonesia’s government is sidestepping democratic processes," Benedict explained. He concluded, "These legal changes are designed to consolidate power, not safeguard citizens."

He urged that President Prabowo's administration must cease intimidating activists and prosecute those involved in violence against human rights advocates. The government must also ensure that all legal revisions comply with international legal standards and that the processes are transparent, actively involving civil society participation.

Call to Action

Nadine Sherani of KontraS stated that Indonesia's inclusion on the CIVICUS watchlist reflects warnings that have long been voiced by local civil society groups.

"Adding Indonesia to the CIVICUS Monitor watchlist reflects warnings civil society groups in Indonesia have been flagging on dwindling civic freedoms since Prabowo took office," said Nadine.

She added that the international community must call out these blatant violations, demand progress on civic freedoms, and stand in solidarity with civil society.

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